Irish Priests' Sex Abuse Scandal: Pope Benedict meets Irish Bishops

Commentary:

Pope Benedict XVI met with the Irish bishop expressing his concerns and remorse over the details contained in the Irish report heavily indicting the Irish Catholic hierarchy.  While, this is noteworthy, and expressly supported, the Holy Father seems selective in his approach. The late Pope John Paul II was very vocal and confronted these abuses wherever they occurred, except that he did not go far enough as in the cases that evolved out of Poland, Austria, and other places.

Yet, when the American priest's sex abuse scandal blow open and monumentally dented the image of the worldwide Catholic Church, his response was outright, vocal, and swif, though regretably not far reaching. Unfortunately, the late Pope shielded abusers like the late Father Marcel Marcial, the founder and leader of the Society of the Sovereignty of Christ the King, often referred to as the Legionaries of Christ.

Fr. Marcial was eventually sanctioned after years of denial and protection by the same Vatican following the death of the late pope, John Paul II, placed under interdict and limited, having being isolate from performing his formal priestly and society roles. He died afterwards, only for it to become public that he had also fathered a child with a woman living in Argentina, and that the society has been obligated financially to the care of the child.

Pope Benedict XVI in the alleged case of Central African Republic did not meet with its hierarchy outside their normal ad limina visit to Rome that year. It is not known whether he even addressed the issue with the senior leadership of that country's hierarchy. Rather, given the limited attention he gave to the issue he delegated an African prelate to that country, after which three bishops were mandated to be removed. 

Such double standards when such cases arise in other climes reflect the undying affirmation that the issues of the churches of the third world, outside of the west does not matter, or carry enormous weight. It continues to reaffirm the notion already assumed and somewhat propelled by the Pope himself that the major concern of his pontificate revolves around the issues of the western church, principally Europe and America.
If that is the case, it is really saddening that the church the arrowhead of social justice can become so perverted to certain demarcative interests, that are normatively exclusive.

In any case, we urge and join Catholics the world over, including our good and fervent African Catholics to pray for the mission of the church, its purification, and renewal. Clerics are human beings and can be weak. Many clerics experience being burnt out in ministry. The overwhelming nature of their daily apostolate can be huge and leave little room for their own spiritual upbraiding, while it is true that they are astute resources of spiritual hope and anchor of support for their congregants, parishioners, and those that rely on them.  More so, one fact continues to be undermined; the devil is a portent force, looking for avenues and channels to diminish the influence of the church in building God's dominion here on earth (2 Corinthian 11: 3; 1 Peter 5: 8-9). 

This year being the year of the priests draw even more attention to this salient fact. The devil is roaring round often, St. Peter informs us looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). The devil whom Jesus designates as "a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the turth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it" (John 8: 44).

The Church has the promise of Christ her saviour, because the Church is a divine reality; but also made up of weak human beings, capable of denial, abandonment, and even rejection.  It is this human side, this weak side that evil permeates; yet it is this weak side that is the vessel of God's grace that God is using (2 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

In the book of Apocalypse (Revelation) we see the seven churches in spite of their strengths and witnessing, still failing (Revelation 2-3).  As human beings we can be weak and tempted, but the grace of faith, of praying for one another, praying for the Church and her global mission, praying for our ministers and ecclesiastical leaders and workers, sustained by God- Through him, with him, in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit- will see us through. 

We are also aware that only God can protect us from the trials and hours of vicissitudes (Revelation 3: 10-12). Therefore, we need to open our hearts to God, allow him once again to come in and refresh us with his presence in the Holy Spirit, to revitalize us through and through, casting away our lukewarmness (Revelation 3: 20). As a church, we need to return to our first love, knowing where we first started from before we fell head on (Revelation 2: 4-5).

We can no longer afford to be neither cold nor warm, proud and arrogant about our influence, wealth, and have no need of nothing; whereas we wallow in wretchedness, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. The Lord counsels us to buy from him, gold refined in the fire, that we may become rich, and white garments, that she will be clotherd, that the shame of her nakedness may not be revealed, and become anointed with eye salve that she may see (Revelation 3: 15-18).

These manifestations of the Church's weakness must not lead us to deny or reject our fatih, but that we rather stand firm on the authority of our God in praying for the renewal of God for our communion of faith, our ministers, God's people. As we share in the Holy Eucharist, may we pray that the cup of salvation containing Christ's precious blood would definitely, together with the sacrament of renewal and reconciliation, be an assured sign of our protection, purification from sins, forgiveness, and restoration to grace (cf. Apocalypse (Revelation) 1:5. Let us join Archangel Michael, in rebuking Satan and forefeiting all its empty and false promises in our lives (Jude 1:9).

It is because the Lord love his church, that she rebukes and chasten, seeking fervent renewal in zealousness and repentance (Revelation 2:19). As bad as the signs are, the Lord may be exposing the nakedness of our embedded and embodied arrogance, to enable us do something about it. In this sense, using the logic of the world to interpret God's designs would be fatal.

Let us see the hand of our God in what is happening to our Church, and visualize it as an ongoing purification, calling our Roman Catholic communion to a greater appreciation of our reliance on God, rather than on our own resources, humility, and more connection with the ideals of Christ upon which the Catholic Church is fundamentally rooted. We must rely less on our human resources and more on God as the foundation of our existence as His community and people.

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IRISH BISHOPS MEET WITH POPE
VATICAN CITY, 11 DEC 2009 ( VIS ) - The Holy See Press Office released the following English-language communique at midday today:

"Today the Holy Father held a meeting with senior Irish bishops and high-ranking members of the Roman Curia. He listened to their concerns and discussed with them the traumatic events that were presented in the Irish Commission of Investigation's Report into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.
"After careful study of the report, the Holy Father was deeply disturbed and distressed by its contents. He wishes once more to express his profound regret at the actions of some members of the clergy who have betrayed their solemn promises to God, as well as the trust placed in them by the victims and their families, and by society at large.
"The Holy Father shares the outrage, betrayal and shame felt by so many of the faithful in Ireland , and he is united with them in prayer at this difficult time in the life of the Church.

"His Holiness asks Catholics in Ireland and throughout the world to join him in praying for the victims, their families and all those affected by these heinous crimes.

"He assures all concerned that the Church will continue to follow this grave matter with the closest attention in order to understand better how these shameful events came to pass and how best to develop effective and secure strategies to prevent any recurrence.

"The Holy See takes very seriously the central issues raised by the report, including questions concerning the governance of local Church leaders with ultimate responsibility for the pastoral care of children.

"The Holy Father intends to address a Pastoral Letter to the faithful of Ireland in which he will clearly indicate the initiatives that are to be taken in response to the situation.

"Finally, His Holiness encourages all those who have dedicated their lives in generous service to children to persevere in their good works in imitation of Christ the Good Shepherd".

OP/MEETING BISHOPS/IRELAND VIS 091211 (340)